Albuquerque, USA - The 5th annual Thirsty Ear Festival will take place August 29 - 31, 2003 at the Eaves Movie Ranch near Santa Fe (New Mexico). For the 5th year anniversary, the organizers are adding an evening of festivities on Friday, Aug. 29 out at the ranch in addition to their traditional pre-festival blues jam in downtown Santa Fe. And for the first time in its history, the festival is adding some spicy Cajun to the blues-folk-alt country-roots rock mix.

On Saturday the outdoor Main Stage kicks off around noon with the likes of bluesmen HENRY BUTLER, COREY HARRIS, and MEM SHANNON, singer-songwriters IRIS DEMENT and KIM RICHEY, young Cajun upstarts the RED STICK RAMBLERS, and roots rocker KEN VALDEZ. On Sunday, the great GOV'T MULE presides over a lineup that includes festival favorite KENNY BROWN (often reverently referred to as the world's greatest slide guitar player), jam master TONY FURTADO, up-and-coming blues guitar whiz ALEX MARYOL, and more.

All weekend long, the Old Hotel and Saloon stages will be buzzing with half-hour showcase sets by both regional and national talents, as well as blues jams (Corey Harris will host Saturday night's jam, and Kenny Brown will take the helm Sunday evening) and bluegrass stomps (Santa Fe's most popular young bluegrass band, MARY & MARS, will host stomps on both Saturday and Sunday).

For more information go to www.ThirstyEarFestival.com